From the antebellum house on the farm his father bought more than 40 years ago, Bob Runkle can look across the fields and see growing families.
A crop of newcomers to Edwardsburg is flourishing in Chicago Trail Farms, eventually 120 lots on some 80 acres within walking distance of Edwardsburg schools and the developing Edwardsburg Sports Complex.
"The community's pretty tight considering we're not that old a development," says Bob, who grew up on Eagle Lake, moved away, and came to the farm in 1982 with his wife, Leslye.
"There's some pretty good friendships that have happened out there. Some of them really spend time together. There's a fair amount of families there. There's a good range of kids and children. Not everybody has young family. There's some that are empty-nesters.
"It certainly has become more of a bedroom community to the South Bend-Elkhart-Mishawaka area. When I grew up there, it was pretty rural."
Runkle drove the hay wagon last Halloween for the neighborhood hayride that attracted about 30 children with their parents, part of the rural charm of the neighborhood with a century-old barn, roadside fencing and stone columns.
Marketer Tim Murray says the old-fashioned feel is best-of-both-worlds for buyers who want elbow room without being a country mile from their neighbors.
"It is a neighborhood environment," he says. "So much of Michigan is house on two to five acres, more rural. This is for people who want more of a neighborhood feel."
Three houses in Chicago Trail Farms -- Web site at www.chicagotrailfarms.com -- will be in the Home Builders Association of St. Joseph Valley's Builders Showcase May 8, 9, 12, 15 and 16. Houses are built on 29 of the 39 lots in Phase 1.
Prices range from the $180,000s to the $400,000s, with most in the $190,000s to $260,000s, Tim says. Lots are a half-acre.
"Strategically, we're right next to the Edwardsburg Schools," he says. "We have a walking path through the field. In our next phase we'll have a sidewalk that connects directly from the development to the schools."
Many buyers come to be close to the respected Edwardsburg schools and the sports complex, where some fields will be ready for play this fall.
"A lot of it is school-driven, getting into a smaller school system and the advantages of that school," Tim says. "Some people have a Michigan preference, and it fits them well, too."
That's what attracted Diane and Tom Moran, who moved from near Chicago four years ago.
"The schools are a big draw for me," says Diane, who did Internet research before visiting. "I chose Edwardsburg because they had really good schools at a smaller scale, which I like a lot.
"We got very lucky. We really, really like Mr. Runkle. He always helps out. The people that live in the community -- we just have a very nice group of people. My friends and I have organized lots of parties. Everyone always participates."
Bob's family were not farmers but rented the land to others before planting the subdivision on the soil. He enjoys seeing it grow, with yard sales, July Fourth parties, "Children at Play" and other signs of life.
"They're pitching in on little projects," he says. "They've really gelled. It's been interesting to watch."